True Winner
by Noa-Pearl
Summary: Gil receives an invitation for his high school for a reunion, but isn't planning on going at all. Catherine finds the invitation on his desk though, and is determined to get Gil to go, with a little help of her.
1. Chapter 1

**True Winner. **

_Summary: Gil receives an invitation for his high school reunion, but isn't planning on going at all. Catherine finds the invitation on his desk though, and is determined to get Gil to go, with a little help of her.  
Note: Hi guys, though I really adore Catherine and Vartann together, I really did miss my beloved Catherine and Gil ;-). I came up with this idea, hope you'll enjoy it! xx.  
Spoilers: None.  
Rating: T, M for certain upcoming chapters._

**1.**

Gil Grissom stared blankly at the invitation that was laying on his desk. He'd just received an invitation for a reunion from his high school. He knew he wasn't going. High school had probably been the most terrible and embarrassing time of his life. He'd felt as if he was a ghost. Classmates had constantly been bullying him, making fun of his glasses and calling him a geek because of his high grades for sciences. They'd assured him he'd never been successful and that he would never get married. And even though Gil knew he was quite successful now, he knew he wasn't ready to face his former classmates. The ones who'd made his life a living hell in those days.

What Gil didn't notice, was his right hand on the work-floor, - and outside of it as well,- had walked into his office. Catherine Willows stared at the man for a while, wondering what was going through his mind. His blank stare was focused on something on his desk, and Catherine was curious to find what exactly it was. She slowly walked into his direction, not too surprised by the fact that Gil didn't seem to notice he. He was, after all, a dreamer. It wasn't until she was almost behind him that Gil noticed the strawberry blonde near him. "Catherine! I didn't hear you get in."

Catherine chuckled and said: "So I've noticed. What were you staring at?"

Gil tried to hide the invitation, knowing Catherine would make him go to the reunion. But Catherine had been able to stand behind him and was able to snatch the paper out of his hands before he had the chance to throw it into his garbage can. Her icy blue eyes read the few lines that were on the paper. She locked her eyes with Gil's when she was finished reading, and could tell he wasn't planning on going. "You're not going, are you?"

It kept surprising Gil how well Catherine knew him. He wanted to deny her accusation, but her blue eyes pierced right through his mind. That was why he said: "I wasn't planning on doing it. It's next week, in San Francisco, that's too soon. Besides, I didn't enjoy high school that much. I'm not interested in going."

Catherine raised an eyebrow and sat down on Gil's desk, right next to him. Gil couldn't help but stare; her blue jeans made all her perfect curves stand out, and the green top she was wearing looked perfect with her reddish hair. And her scent.. It was a mix of strawberry's and vanilla, along with a bit of something that reminded Gil of exotic fruits. His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Catherine's hand flying in front of his eyes and he then heard her say: "Earth to Gil Grissom… Were you even listening to what I just said?"

It was obvious that Gil felt somewhat embarrassed as he said: "I'm sorry, I got… Distracted. Tell me again, please."

A small chuckle escaped from Catherine's lips; she 'd always thought Gil looked adorable when his cheeks were a bit red out of embarrassment. She smiled and repeated: "I said, that I thought this high school reunion was a great way of getting back all those old classmates of yours that had ever made fun of you. You're a successful, handsome man, who's earning a great amount of money and who's living in one of the most exciting cities in the world!"

It was now Gil's turn to raise an eyebrow before he said: "Catherine, are you serious? What exactly do you think those people will say when I tell them I now work with dead people in nightshifts and still live on my own? Do you honestly believe they would actually envy me for that? I was a ghost during high school, Catherine, a loser, I still am. "

Gil's insecurity was something Catherine noticed immediately when he'd started talking. It hurt her. It hurt her, knowing such an incredible man as Gil was so insecure about himself. She put his hand on his and said: "Hey, don't talk like that! You're such an amazing man, Grissom. Those people are insane if they don't see that.."

Gil didn't respond though, and Catherine suddenly felt somewhat angry inside. How in the world could people be so mean to each other that someone was able to still feel hurt for something that had happened in high school after more than thirty years? She got up on her feet again and turned Gil's chair so he was facing her. With a determined voice she said: "You know what, I have an idea. I'll come with you."

Shock was obviously present in Gil's eyes when he said: "What… What do you mean, you'll come with me?"

"It's not that hard to understand. We'll go to the reunion together. I'll pretend to be your wife, and that way, we can make everyone see how well you turned out to be. Though I know you've always been an incredible guy."

Catherine's genuine smile and determined eyes made Gil feel warm inside. It felt nice to have such an amazing friend by his side. Especially since she was the most attractive woman he'd ever met as well. The idea of pretending Catherine was his wife scared Gil; he was afraid she would see what he really felt for her. But on the other hand, spending an extra weekend with Catherine would be a bless. Being with Catherine always meant he had a good time. A small smile appeared on his face while he said: "You're sure you want to spent your free weekend with me?"

She nodded and said: "Of course, I'd enjoy helping you. Believe me."

"I appreciate it, Catherine. You're a good friend."

Catherine smiled and leant forward to give Gil a hug. He accepted it somewhat uncomfortable, and after a while, he enjoyed the warmth of her body against his. She eventually broke their hug and said: "Well, we'll discuss the details later. I'm going to head home, Lindsey's waiting for me. I'll see you tomorrow!" She gave him a last smile before she turned around and walked out of his office. She was near the door when she stopped after she'd heard Gil call her name. She turned around and saw Gil staring at her. His stare gave her goose bumps; his stare made her feel as if she was the most gorgeous woman in the world. He didn't say a word, which was why Catherine said: "Yeah?"

He smiled at her before he said: "Thank you, Catherine."

_Note: Please let me know if you like the idea and the set up, I'd really appreciate it! xx._


	2. Chapter 2

_Note: Hey all, thanks for the nice reviews! I'm glad you all like the idea so far. __I've been searching on ff for the story you guys talked about and I think I've found it, and I read it again, because I know I must've read it before. You're all so right about the set-up being the same, but don't worry, I'm planning on going into a total different direction with this on ;-). It definitely wasn't my intention to steal the idea of the writer of the other story, so I'm sorry if anyone thought I tried to steal it because that was definitely not my intention! Back to this story, here's the next chapter. I hope you all like it again! xx._

_**2.**_

"Why in the world are your bags so heavy? You're gone for two days, not two years!" Gil complained while he lifted Catherine's bag into his SUV. Catherine chuckled and replied: "Well, you want me to look good, don't you?"

"You always look good." Gil was surprised with himself; he usually only thought these things, but never said them. He looked at Catherine, and he was surprised to see a slight red color appear on her cheeks before she said: "That's sweet, thank you."

Gil lifted her second bag in the car and then took his time to look at Catherine from behind his sunglasses, who was currently saying goodbye to her daughter. She looked pretty; her hair was loosely curled and she was wearing a pair of shorts with a black tank top. He enjoyed seeing her bare legs; it had been a long time since he'd seen them. He saw Catherine hugging Lindsey, and then she walked into his direction. "I'm ready."

Gil smiled. "Me too."

They both waved to Lindsey and Catherine's mom as they drove away, heading for the airport. While Gil kept his eyes on the road, Catherine was searching for a music station she enjoyed. Gil's eyes travelled from the road to Catherine every once in a while, enjoying the beautiful woman sitting next to him.

* * *

Catherine chuckled when she noticed Gil was asleep. They'd been on the plane for about twenty minutes now, and while she'd been watching a movie, Gil had apparently been so bored that he'd fallen asleep. He looked so peaceful while he was sleeping. Catherine knew he was nervous though. He'd made it very clear to her that his high school experiences weren't exactly good. She was determined to make all those creeps from his high school feel bad for what they'd done back then. She would prove that Gil was a great, sweet, fun and handsome man. Her hand gently caressed his cheek for a second, before Catherine turned her attention back to the movie. She couldn't resist looking at Gil every once in a while though. 

* * *

"God, Gil, this hotel looks beautiful…"

Catherine was amazed when she stood in front of the hotel she was sleeping in for three nights. The outside looked gorgeous, and Catherine figured that it must've cost Gil a fortune. He simply shrugged and said: "I'm glad you like it."

They walked into the building together, and after a few seconds of waiting in front of the reception desk, a woman came up to them and said: "May I help you?"

Grissom took the word as he said: "My name is Gil Grissom, I've booked two rooms."

Catherine had to admit that she was a little disappointed that Gil had booked two rooms instead of one room they could share. But he was a true gentleman after all, she hadn't expect him to do anything else.

* * *

Their first night in San Francisco wasn't exactly interesting; both had fallen asleep as soon as their heads had hit their pillows. Their first morning was more remarkable though, well, for Catherine at least. She woke up from knocks on her door, and wondered who had the nerves to wake her up at seven in the morning without a warning. Her mood changed though when she heard a familiar voice on the other side of the door. "Cath, it's me… Open your door, I have a surprise."

The sound of Gil's voice made her sit up straight immediately. She got out of bed and yelled: "Just a second," before she looked into the mirror. She ran a quick hand through her hair and tried to streak out the sleep in her eyes. Changing her outfit wasn't an option since Gil was standing in front of her door, so she figured she just had to open the door in her black nighty.

The first thing Gil noticed when Catherine opened the door, were her beautiful legs that weren't covered. His eyes roamed over her legs quickly, and het noticed that all she was wearing was a short, black, nightdress, what looked absolutely gorgeous on her. How he'd love to have her lying next to him like that… The first thing Catherine noticed when she saw Gil in front of her door, was the huge plate with food that he was holding. Croissants, strawberries, orange juice, coffee… It was holding everything she loved. She smiled and said: "You shouldn't have done that…"

Gil smiled back and said: "Well, I wanted to. Hope you can forgive me for waking you up so early."

Catherine chuckled and said: "I forgive you now. Come in, please."

She walked in front of him to her bed and said: "Sorry, no table in here. But my bed will do, I guess." She sat down and mentioned for Gil to sit down next to her. While he put down the plate near them and handed her a cup of coffee, Catherine said: "So, what do you want to do today? We don't have to be in your high school until four so we have some hours left to do some stuff. What's your plan?"

Gil smiled and said: "I was going to tell you that. I want to show you some things around here, if you want to of course."

Catherine just took a bite of her croissant, but her nods and the smile on her face made it clear that she would love to see a bit more of the town. Gil suddenly felt warm inside; he felt so comfortable around Catherine. She was the only woman he truly enjoyed spending time with without feeling somewhat uncomfortable. With Catherine though he felt always good. Gil knew he loved her. And he knew he needed to tell her that some time soon.

While they ate their breakfast together and talked about some light subjects , Catherine wondered how the first part of the reunion later that day would be. She hoped Gil would feel more comfortable knowing that his best friend was next to him by his side. She hoped he would finally feel confident enough to show all his former classmates what an incredible guy he truly was.

_Note: Hope you've enjoyed it, please let me know! xx._


	3. Chapter 3

_Note: Hi there, here's the next chapter. Thanks to those of you who reviewed, and to those who read this story. I really want to give RoseWillows a special thank you, for not hating on me but giving this story a chance. Please enjoy! xx. _

**3.**

"San Francisco really is gorgeous, Gil. I can't believe I haven't been here before!" Catherine was amazed with how beautiful San Francisco truly was. It wasn't a very hot town like Las Vegas, but Catherine enjoyed the somewhat autumn atmosphere she was feeling in the town. It made her long for hot chocolate and long talks in front of a fire. Especially with the man that was walking next to her. It was almost two o'clock, and they were heading back for their hotel to change and attend the first part of the reunion. Catherine knew Gil was nervous. She wanted to make him feel a bit better, and knowing she would really enjoy it herself as well, she grabbed his hand.

Gil suddenly felt his hand connect with Catherine's. He suddenly became so nervous, knowing he was holding the hand of the woman he really liked, and said: "Sara and I met here, you know."

Catherine's mood changed immediately and let go of his hand. Gil knew he had said the wrong thing. It was confirmed when Catherine's face grimaced as she said: "Must've been the best day of her life."

Silence remained after that, and Gil silently cursed himself for saying Sara's name. He didn't know what exactly had been going wrong between Catherine and Sara, but it had been obvious that the two women weren't the best friends. Mentioning Sara's name was something that he knew would destroy Catherine's mood, but his nerves made him say stupid things more often.

When they'd reached their hotel, Catherine's grumpy mood had clearly become better. Catherine still hadn't been too pleased about Gil mentioning Sara, but she knew he needed her comfort more right now. When they stepped into the elevator, she said: "Okay, so here's the plan. We've known each other since university. You were three years above me. We went out once back then, but you left pretty quick afterwards. We ran into each other again eleven years ago when I started working for the Las Vegas Police Department. We started dating pretty quick afterwards, and we've been married for a year now. The only problem is a ring. Maybe.. Well let's just say that I left it at home because I was afraid of losing it. Okay? Now let's go get changed and take a shower. You come to my room when you're finish, right?"

Gil chuckled; he was glad Catherine was always able to come up with some kind of plan. He nodded and said: "I will." When he knew Catherine was in her room though, he walked back to the elevator. He was going to take care of the only problem in their cover; the ring.

Catherine heard a knock on her door, and that knock was a little bit earlier than she had expected. She was trying to zip up the black dress she was wearing, but so far, she hadn't succeeded. While she was holding her dress with one hand, she opened the door with the other. She smiled when she saw Gil standing in front of her, all dressed up in a nice suite. "Hey you, you're early! You look nice, very nice!"

A little flush covered Gil's cheeks while he murmured: "Thank you."

He wanted to continue talking, but Catherine was earlier as she said: "Hey, could you zip me up please? I can't reach it.."

Gil nodded while Catherine turned her back to him. She held her hair up, and Gil took a moment to look at her neck and back. He loved her freckled, pale skin. It looked like porcelain, decorated with millions of tiny birthmarks. His hand moved to the underside of his dress, were the zipper began. He slowly zipped her up, enjoying the brief encounters he had every once in a while with her skin. When he was finished, he couldn't help but rest his hand in her neck. A shiver went through her body, and he could feel it. It somewhat surprised him; he apparently had some kind of effect on her. Catherine turned around with a smile and said: "Thank you. Like the dress?"

Gil's eyes roamed up and down over her body. Her tight, black dress hugged every good curve of her body, and ended halfway of her upper leg. It didn't look slutty at all; she looked gorgeous. "You look beautiful, Catherine."

"Thank you. I'm almost done.. I just need to put on some earrings, or a necklace or something.."

While she searched through the jewelry box she had brought, Gil decided it was now time for him to barge in with his present. "Cath.. I think I can help you with that…"

She turned around again to face him, and looked at him with a puzzled look. Gil nervously smiled before he said: "You know, you talked about that ring… And I started thinking.. You deserve a ring, for helping me. I really appreciate it, so that's why… Well, that's why I bought it. It's not very big, but I still hope you like it…"

Catherine's mouth widened when she saw Gil holding a tiny little box. It widened even more when he opened it and she saw what was in it. It was a gorgeous ring. A golden ring, a little thicker than normal rings were, and it was holding three gorgeous diamants in the middle. "God, Gil… This ring is gorgeous. You shouldn't have done this, it must've cost you a fortune. It's beautiful, Gil."

Tears appeared in Catherine's eyes; Gil's gesture meant so much to her. He simply stood there, smiling, somewhat embarrassed by Catherine's words. "Thank you, Gil…" She walked over to him and threw her arms around him. Gil was surprised when he felt Catherine's warm body against his, but soon, he felt completely good with her in his arms. Gil knew this was the way his life was supposed to be; with Catherine in his arms. And he was definitely planning on making that happen every night very soon. Well, as soon as he'd figured out if Catherine felt the same way about him.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Note: Hi all, thanks for the nice reviews again. I'm sorry for the delay, I've been ill for a couple of days and soo busy with work that I had barely time to write. I know it ain't a very good excuse, but it's the truth ;-). Here's the fourth chapter, please enjoy! xx._**

_4._

The first part of the reunion that evening started with a short reception, were everyone could socialize and bring back memories from the past. Catherine knew it scared him to bring back all those memories. That wasn't the only reason she was holding onto his hand tight though. She obviously wanted to comfort him. But feeling his hand holding hers felt nice. It felt nice to have someone to hold on to. And besides; she was a little scared too. Catherine was afraid she would make a mistake, or look bad, and make Gil feel even worse. She was determined to try her best though; Gil was her best friend. And a little voice in the back of her head, told her he was more than a friend.

The couple arrived in the building a little before five, and were surrounded with people as well. Catherine could tell Gil was getting more nervous with every step they took. She took his hand even more firmly into hers before she smiled and said: "It will be fine, Gil. Things will be fine. Come one."

Gil knew Catherine was almost forcing him into the building. He had to admit that he was somewhat glad. Having a forceful and fierce woman like Catherine by his side would prevent him from giving up and run away. 

* * *

After they'd confirmed their names on the list, Catherine and Gil hung up their coats and entered the huge room in which the reception was hold. Champagne was given to everyone that walked into the room, and for a moment, Gil and Catherine took their time to look at the room. It was dressed up very neat, tables covered in black tablecloths and decorated with red and white flowers. The room was crowded already. When Catherine looked around, she saw men dressed in suits and women dressed in pretty dresses. The differences between the men and women she knew and the men and women that were currently in the room with her though, was the fact that these people looked as it they were God's gift to earth. It annoyed her. A lot.

Gil immediately knew why exactly he wasn't too keen on people; it had all to do with the people that were currently with him in the room. Pictures of the past flashed through his mind; people laughing at him for wearing glasses, people that threw his books out of the window and people that were simply ignoring him. When he turned around to face to Catherine instead of all the other people, he saw her looking at him. Catherine smiled and said: "So… How long exactly is this going to take?"

"What do you mean, this?"

She chuckled. "I mean this reception. I'm starving…"

"Your stomach is never satisfied, is it?"

The couple chuckled, and Catherine was glad that their little talk seemed to keep Gil's mind off of all the other people in the room for a second. Catherine noticed the man that was approaching Gil though, and she had the feeling that his pleasure wasn't going to last very long. She was Gil flinch when he felt an arm on his shoulder, and when he turned around, a loud, obnoxious voice started talking.

"I thought it was you! Gil Grissom, the man of very few words! How have you been?"

The man reached for Gil's hand, and Gil shook it uncomfortable. "I'm fine, Tom, how are you?"

"Great, absolutely great! It's nice to see all these people again, isn't it?"

"Terrific." Gil's sarcastic undertone was unnoticed by Tom, but Catherine definitely noticed it. She cleared her throat –a little bit too loud,- and Tom turned himself to her. Both Gil and Catherine noticed the way Tom's eyes roamed over Catherine's entire body before he said: "I'm sorry miss, I didn't notice you. I'm Tom Moore, a former classmate of Gil."

Catherine gave her sweetest smile while she shook the man's hand and said: "I'm Catherine, Gil's wife."

She could tell Tom was a little shocked about her announcement, but he didn't say a word. Instead, he tried to keep a neutral face as he said: "It's a pleasure to meet you. Gil's a lucky man."

* * *

As soon as they'd been possible, Catherine and Gil had ditched Tom and decided to go outside for a second, to get some fresh air. The moment they were out of sight for all the other people on the reunion, Catherine said: "God, Gil, all these people are so… Stiff. Well, they look.. Stiff. I mean, that Tom guy, seriously, I felt as if he was taking off my clothes. Was he a friend of yours?"

Gil shook his head immediately. "No, no, not at all."

Catherine nodded, but saw bitterness in Gil's eyes. She wanted to ask about Tom, but she had a feeling Gil wasn't very happy to talk about him. Instead, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it lightly before she said: "You're okay?"

Gil planned on nodding, but he knew Catherine was able to see right through him. He shrugged a little bit before he said: "These people make me want to throw up, Catherine. I… I don't know why I went here."

He felt a hand smack his chest before he saw it coming and then he heard Catherine say: "Don't you dare saying that, mister! We're here to prove to these people, and to yourself as a matter of fact, that you're the most amazing man that's on this earth, and that they were all wrong back then."

The fire that appeared in Catherine's eyes when she was talking made Gil smile. He now squeezed her hand and said: "You're incredible, Catherine."

"I know."

"But I still don't like this reunion."

Catherine pushed her elbow into his side before she said: "Come on, let's stay until the dinner at least. We can go then, if you want. Just.. Please, make sure you can see you're worth more than all those slimes inside. You're so much more than all of those people in that room will ever be."

He nodded slightly; how could he say no to Catherine's little elucidation that told him she thought he was incredible? He took her hand and guided her into the direction of the stairs that would bring them back to the reunion room again. Catherine stepped onto the stairs in front of Gil, but tripped when her heel got stuck between a tiny grate.

Gil caught Catherine before he realized she was actually falling. His hands were wrapped around her middle and his nose was buried in her neck. He could smell her sweet scent mixed with a little perfume. Meanwhile, Catherine steadied herself again and turned around. While she was facing Gil, her heart started pounding faster and faster. She could feel his breath on her skin, and the only thing she could think about was kissing his lips. She knew she wasn't supposed to do that though; she was his best friend that was trying to support him. That was why she couldn't look into his eyes as she said: "Thanks for catching me, Gil. Come on, let's go inside."


End file.
